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Saturday, 25 October 2014

#WIPMarathon Update #9

Last report wordcount and chapter count/scene count: I was at 15K of Shiny Book 2! I was also working on two novellas.Current report WC + CC/SC: I finished my draft at 76K! :DI also reached 16K of this novella, so that's 4K added this month.I also worked on several rounds of (intensive!) edits on Shiny New MS based on feedback from two rounds of readers. I cut/rewrote close to 10,000 words (it's now 79K). And I still love it! ^_^And my first round of publisher edits on Darkworld Book 3 came in from my awesome editor! So... more edits. *brain explodes*WIP Issues this month: Not so much a writing issue as a technological one, but I kind of broke another laptop. (Or rather, a certain book broke it :P) So I had to replace it with a new desktop computer (which is awesome!) and deal with all the technological.. stuff.Also, juggling, an inevitable consequence of getting editorial notes on a different project while working on a draft! It meant pulling out my brain and shaking it a bit so it wanted to work on the right series, which was a bit more difficult than I expected! I wish my brain came with a project switch...Four things I learned this month in writing:

Hmm... you know, it's been another rollercoastery month (publishing!), but I think (I hope!) I'm starting to just... write through it. The first half of this year, I really struggled with constant knockbacks kicking my progress off-track, whereas now, something "meh" happens and I kind of give it a glance and then carry on writing anyway!

I learned that it's totally okay to stop mid crazy-drafting mode and fix major issues before they steamrollered out of control. I was THAT close to the end of my draft, but some issues were just annoying me so much that it was stopping me making progress until I went back and fixed them. (My OCD means that when something's bugging me, it's REALLY bugging me, so I had to do it, really!) I ended up cutting 3000 unnecessary words and adding a couple of new scenes, and the words just started flowing again!

...that's all I've got. *falls asleep*

What distracted me this month when writing: ICELAND! *ahem*Goal for next month: Hmm... I wasn't going to do NaNo, but based on the way this series has been going so far, I might give it a try for Shiny Book 3! Or perhaps some short stories. I still need to finish Darkworld edits, though. (Then again, I got over 50K this month without even realising it, so there is hope!)Last 200 words: Book 2 is spoilery, so this is from the latest version of the first book!

Skyla grabbed my arm and dragged me out of
the way of a swiping claw. The monster reared up to its full height, letting
out a roar loud enough to make my eardrums hurt. Claws slashed madly, and the
beast drove us further and further back, out into another, narrower corridor.

“We’ve got to lure it away,” I gasped, my
dagger suddenly feeling like a flimsy knife in comparison to those claws.

“This way!” Skyla pulled me down a
side-tunnel, panting, hair plastered to her face with blood from a cut on her
cheek. The wyvern screeched, angry its prey was escaping, and struck out – we
backed up further down the tunnel. The ceiling was narrow, so I’d hoped the
wyvern wouldn’t be able to fit, but as it dropped to the ground and began to
slither in a rapid, snake-like movement, I knew we’d driven ourselves into a
bigger trap. Skyla’s nails dug into my arm. We backed away further and further
and as its teeth snapped, pure panic took over.

Nice action scene! And Congratulations! Another draft down! I'm sure you have officially passed by novel count by now. ;) I hate getting a new computer, but LOVE shiny new computers at the same time. ^_^

It's totally okay to stop and fix things! I do it all the time. There is no point in leaving a mess there if you know about it. No, no. One of the benefits of being OCD. ^_^

A switch for the brain would be SO nice. *goes hunting for one* Good luck juggling everything next month! Wow...

Every month you astound me with your word counts. Actually, I've decided to cease being amazed because you are just that awesome on a regular basis. Congrats on all the words! And good luck with NaNo - I'm sure you'll win :D

Also, so weird to see photos of Iceland in non-winter mode. Glad you enjoyed your trip!!

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About Me

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy novels. When she's not immersed in her own fictional universes, Emma can be found with her head in a book or wandering around the world in search of adventure.